New faces, New beginnings, New loves
by HeavyMetalRose
Summary: The Host club is back and ready to continue their previous lives. But soon, Kyoya meets Hitomiko, a girl who is better than him at everything. Will he hate this girl, or will he fall in love with her?
1. New faces, New beginnings, New loves

It was a calm day in Boston, Massachusetts. Haruhi Fujioka, who is 17 with brown hair and brown eyes, was finishing her packing, for she would be soon heading back to Japan so she may finish her next 2 years at the elite private school, Ouran Academy. She had a boyfriend and 5 friends, who were also guys, who were also in America with her. Her boyfriend's name is Tamaki Suoh, who is 18 with blond hair and violet eyes. Her friend's names are Kyoya Ootori, who is also 18 with black hair and grey eyes, Hikaru Hittachin, who is 17 with dark ash hair and green/golden eyes. Kaoru Hittachin, is the twin brother of Hikaru, who is 17 with auburn hair and green/golden eyes, Mitsukuni Haninozuka (aka, Honey), who is 19 with blond hair and brown eyes, and Takashi Morinozuka (aka, Mori) who is 19 as well with black hair and black eyes. They all came to America with her while she studied abroad. Now that she is finished, their heading back to finish school. Mitsukuni and Takashi had already graduated and will be studying at their universities soon. But the one thing that keeps them together is the famous Host club that they run. It was established by Kyoya and Tamaki when they were in middle school and they invited Hikaru, Kaoru, Takashi, and Mitsukuni to join. When Haruhi had come to Ouran, she broke a vase worth 8,000,000 yen. She soon became a host to pay off the dept. After a how bunch of obstacles, the friendship between the seven and the relationship between her and Tamaki grew stronger. When she was given the chance to study abroad in Boston for a year, Tamaki and the others came along with her so that they would not be split up. Now her time in Boston is up, and she's heading back.

"Oh Haruhi, aren't you excited? We're going home!" Tamaki said excitedly

"Well I wouldn't say I'm jumping for joy or anything, but it is nice to be able to go back. Even though we kept in touch, I still miss my dad." Haruhi said.

"I have to say, being in America was quite interesting." Tamaki said

He looked at his watch.

"I had better go see the others and make sure their almost ready. Our flight leaves at 10:30 tomorrow." He said

"Okay, I'll feed Antoinette." She said

Antoinette is Tamaki's golden retriever he had gotten a year ago at a commoner's expo.

"Here Antoinette" She said, placing the bowl of food down.

The dog came in to the room and started eating as Haruhi went back to finish her packing.

"_I just hope everything is the same as it was before we left. Change is so bothersome." _She thought

Xxx

"But Hitomiko, do you really have to leave?" Koyomi said with sorrow.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I have to. Besides, you knew I'd only be here for a year. You can't hide from reality. But don't worry, I'll make sure to call and keep in touch with you." Hitomiko said

"Oh Hitomiko, you're really sweet!" Koyomi said, and gave the girl a big hug.

Hitomiko laughed and gave her a pat on the head. When the girl left, Hitomiko pulled out her IPod which was filled with over 5,000 songs. After 5 minutes, she settled with the song "My Immortal" by Evanescence. She sighed as she listed to the song on her bed.

"_Maybe I shouldn't have made friends here. Then it wouldn't be so hard to say good bye." _Hitomiko thought to herself with a sigh.


	2. Return to Ouran

The Host club had just arrived at the gates of Ouran Academy. And, as expected, tons and tons of girls were waiting there, their faces filled with ultimate joy. As they stepped out of the car, the girls screamed with happiness. The boys and girl went on and began to greet all of them. Haruhi got a surprise attack by a girl with long ginger brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her name is Renge Houshakuji.

"Haruhi! It's so good to see you again." Renge said, hugging the girl

"… You too Renge. Wow, you surprised me there." Haruhi said to the hyper girl

"I'm sorry. So how was Boston? I heard they have good tea there." Renge asked.

"Renge, I think your confusing Boston for the Boston Tea Party. They didn't really have much tea there." Haruhi replied

"That's odd." Renge said

"Not really. But in answer to your question, Boston was nice. They had some historical sights, nice scenery. Here, I took some pictures and made a scrap book for you all to see." She said, showing all the girls the book." Haruhi said

All at once, the girls piled around her wanting to see, while telling her stuff like, "Oh Haruhi, you're so sweet!" and "You're so thoughtful Haruhi!" While Haruhi was trying to get out of the center of girls, they guys, except Kyoya and Takashi, couldn't help but sweat drop at the sight.

"This will be quite an interesting day." Kyoya said smirking

Xxx

_Two hours before school._

In her mansion, Hitomiko woke to the sound of her own voice alarm on her alarm clock that she set up herself. She called one of her newly hired maids to come and help her prepare before heading off to school.

"Lady Hitomiko, is there anything you need?" The first maid said

"Yes, I need you to get my school supplies and arrange them in a way so that their easy to access light in weight. Also, go and call Kaede and tell her that I would like a chocolate chip muffin for breakfast. Also, call the gardeners and make sure that the roses are attended to today. They look a bit wilted. And one more thing, call Sumi up." Hitomiko told her.

"Yes ma'am." The maid replied

The maid left in a hurry as Hitomiko went to her bathroom and turned the water on and watched the water as it filled the tub. Then she heard someone calling her.

"In here Sumi" Hitomiko called.

The maid entered the bathroom.

"Is there anything you need my lady?" Sumi asked

"Yes, go and get my Ouran uniform. And make sure it's the one we had refashioned. Also, go and call the houses of Kinami, and Tohru and let them know that the limo will be sent shortly to bring them here." Hitomiko told her

"Yes ma'am." Sumi said, bowed, and left the room.

Hitomiko got in the tub, which was filled with bubbles. In the quiet room, Hitomiko couldn't help but feel excited as she was going to go back to the school she once attended when she was a little kid. But she also felt sad, because her parents wouldn't be there to see her off. Hitomiko was the daughter of Kaname and Michiru Shinkazura. They were very close with one another. But then their lives were ended in a car crash. Hitomiko grieved greatly. Because of their death, Hitomiko inherited the company at the age of 13. Her company is a large music business. For 5 years now, she has been managing the company in her parent's place. It was hard work, but it all turned out right in the end. Hitomiko smiled as she remembered the happy memories with her parents. Will sitting in the tub, Sumi brought in the uniform. The uniform had been altered so that it would suit her. When Hitomiko saw the uniform before, she thought it was the ugliest thing she had ever seen. So she had some changes made to it. Firstly, she had the white cuffs removed. Second, she had white collar and red ribbon removed. Third, she had the puffy sleeves deflated and made into regular sleeves. Fourth, she had the waist lining taken out so that it wouldn't be all scrunched up around the hips. Lastly, she had the neckline of the dress made into a U. _I did a pretty good job."_ She thought. She got changed, did her hair, and went down stairs.

"Good morning Kaede." Hitomiko said, greeting the cook

"Good morning Hitomiko, how was your sleep?" Kaede said to the girl

"Very well" Hitomiko replied

Kaede is the cook of the Shinkazura family. She has worked for the family all of her life and was like a mother to Hitomiko, giving her advice and help whenever she needed it. She was there for Hitomiko when her parents died, and has always taken care of her when she got sick. She's the only one who called Hitomiko by her name. Hitomiko took one of the big chocolate chip muffins from the tray and nibbled on it.

"Mm, still as good as ever" Hitomiko complimented

"Thank you. Good luck at school today." Kaede replied

"Thanks."

A man walked into the kitchen where they were.

"Lady Hitomiko, the car is ready and your friends are waiting for you." The man said

"Thank you Hiro-san." She replied

Kaede gave Hitomiko a kiss on the cheek and the girl left and entered the car.

"Hey guys." She said

Her friends were Kinami Shouta, a 17 year old girl, a year younger than Hitomiko, with medium blond wavy hair and sea blue eyes, and Tohru Matsumoto, another 17 year old girl with short curly red hair and green eyes. Hitomiko herself is 18 with long black hair and green eyes.

"Hey Hitomiko! Welcome back!" Kinami said

"How was the US?" Tohru said

"It was good. I made some good business deals with the owners of stadiums and karaoke places." Hitomiko said

"That's good." Tohru said

"So how have you guys been? Did I miss anything?" she asked

"Nothing really. Things have been kind of dull without you guys here." Kinami said

"Aw, you guys missed me!" she laughed

"Course we did, silly." Kinami laughed

"So… are you planning on seeing them soon?" Tohru asked

"… Yeah… yeah I'm going to see them. Do you have them?" Hitomiko replied

"Don't worry, the flowers will be here soon." Tohru said

"Are you sure you don't want us to go with you?" Kinami asked

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She replied

"Miss, we're here." Hiro said

"Thank you Hiro." She replied

She rolled down her window so that they could see the school.

"Well, here we go."


	3. First Day at Ouran

The girls led the host club to the third music room, showing them that it wasn't inhabited by any other clubs during the time they were gone.

"See, we made sure no one took the room so that it would be ready for you when you returned!" The first girl said

"I see, that was very kind of you all." Tamaki said with a smile.

All of a sudden, Renge smacked him on the back of the head.

"What was that for?" Tamaki screamed.

"Tamaki you're so stupid! You're with Haruhi now! You can't go and smile like that to other girls when you have a girlfriend! Have you completely lost your mind?" Renge yelled

With a gasp, he ran over to Haruhi and was spouting stuff like, "I'm sorry Haruhi!" and, "I never meant to hurt you!" They were all laughing as Haruhi tried to get out of his grasp. Then Kyoya made an announcement.

"In celebration for our return, we will host a party just for you lovely ladies." Kyoya announced.

The girls faces all went red as they started to cheer. A couple of the girls went up to Mitsukuni & Takashi.

"Will Honey & Mori be there too? We know that you have your school work at the universities to deal with and we don't want to be a burden to you." The second girl said

"Don't worry ladies! We'll be there! We're still apart of the Host club even if we don't go to this school anymore! Okay?" Honey said with his cute smile.

The girls screamed moe as they ran up and hugged him.

"Hello Takashi." The girl from episode 12 said

Takashi's eyes widened a tiny bit at the sight of her.

"I hope your trip to Boston was well." She said

"Yeah" He said

"That's good. Here"

She gave him a purple gift bag. Inside were some sweets that he happens to enjoy.

"I thought it would be a nice welcome home present."

"Thanks" he said

"Sure" she said with a smile and left.

"The party will be held this Saturday, so be sure to look even lovelier than you normally do." Kyoya said.

The girls faces went red again as they left. Hikaru & Kaoru sighed as they both fell on the couch.

"Did you have to plan a party so close to when we get back?" Hikaru groaned

"Yeah, we haven't even had time to get ourselves settled." Kaoru continued

"By throwing a party for the ladies, it shows them that we remain their faithful hosts, which means they will come to the club more than 50% than they did last time." Kyoya replied

"**Still the money grubber, aren't you?" **They said in sync

Kyoya smirked. Haruhi couldn't help but sigh at the fact that she was going to have to go through another rich party.

"_Ugh. Just when I thought things would get a little easier." _Haruhi said

Xxx

Hitomiko, Kinami, and Tohru all went inside and looked around. When they found the headmaster's office, they got what they needed and left to find their classroom. As they were looking around, they heard a whole bunch of girls screaming with laughter. They saw the sign above the door which said, "Music Room 3." When they looked inside, they saw a bunch of girls crowding around 6 guys and a girl in a guy's uniform.

"I wonder what's going on." Hitomiko said curiosly

"Oh, I know who they are. Those guys and that girl are the famous Host club." Kinami answered.

"Host club? That's cool! I wonder what inspired them to think of such a creative club." Hitomiko proclaimed.

"Apparently Tamaki, the tall blond guy, thought up the idea in middle school, and with his friend Kyoya's help, the guy with the glasses, they created the club and invited the twins Hikaru and Kaoru, the small boy, Mitsukuni, and the tall guy, Takashi, to join their club. Haruhi, the girl, had broken one of their expensive vases, so to pay off her debt, she joined the club. Soon she became Tamaki's girlfriend." Kinami replied

"Wow, talk about history" Hitomiko said

"No kidding. Soon, Haruhi went to Boston to study abroad, and they had gone along with her." Kinami said

"Aw, that's sweet." Hitomiko said

"Yeah" Tohru agreed.

They kept on walking to find their class.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, thanks for fixing our uniforms." Tohru said

"Yeah, before, they were plain ugly." Kinami added

"Sure, no problem. I didn't like them either." Hitomiko replied

All three of them shuddered at the thought of the way they were before. They soon found their class and got seats right next to one another. They soon found out that Tamaki and Kyoya were in the same class as them, but didn't bother them. At lunch they ate and talked, and laughed at the sight of all the girls surrounding the host club and looks on the other guys faces. Soon it was time to go, but before they got in the limo, they heard a scream.

**To be continued… Ha! You're going to have to wait till later to find out what happens.**


	4. Hitomiko's presence, Kyoya's surprise

As the Host club was leaving for the day, they heard a loud scream. The scream came from one of the girl students. A man in dark clothes was holding her by the arm, trying to drag her off somewhere. Her friends stood there, scared to make a move.

"Riko!" one of the girl's yelled

"Let me go!" Riko screamed

"Come on cutie, come have some fun with me" the man said.

The Host club watched with disbelief.

"Someone should stop him!" Haruhi exclaimed

And at that moment, Kyoya met her. Just before Mitsukuni and Takashi was about to run to her aid, a girl in a school uniform that was clearly altered, with long black hair and green eyes, had did a flip over the group by grabbing Kyoya's shoulders and flipping herself over them. She landed on the ground with grace and took off toward the man. She struck the man's arm so that he would release the girl.

"Run!" She told the girl

"Right" she replied, and then she and her two friends ran away.

The girl looked at the man and smirked.

"Now why would a guy like you be trying something on a poor, defenseless little girl? That's not very manly if you ask me. In fact, it's seems kind of low." She said, taunting him.

"Your right, I prefer girls much like you. Tough, hardcore, and beautiful." He said.

"Well thank you, but flattery won't get you anywhere. You messed with the wrong private academy." She said, cracking her knuckles.

Behind the host club, two girls were cheering her on.

"You show him Hitomiko!" girl one said

"Yeah, take him down!" girl two said

"_Hitomiko? Ah, I remember, she's that new girl in me and Tamaki's classroom. But… what's odd is that… I've never heard of her before."_ Kyoya thought to himself curiously

The girl stood there as the man ran for her. She stepped to the side and he tripped over her foot. He then got up and tried to grab her. She ducked down and swiped her leg around, striking his leg causing him to fall over. She got up and waited for him to get up. Once he did, he started throwing his fists at her. After ducking three of them, she grabbed the fourth, twisted his arm and held it behind his back, and then kicked his back, causing him to head face first into the stone wall of the gates. When he turned around, staggering a bit, she drop-kicked him in the chest, throwing him against the wall, knocking him unconscious. After a minute of silence, everyone the school yard was cheering. They all gathered around the girl, telling her things like how great she is while some of the teachers came out and grabbed the man and took him out of the school. The Host club could not believe what they had seen. The girl, Hitomiko, was able to get out of the sea of people, wave goodbye to them all, and then she and the two girls got in a limo and drove off. Everything had settled down, and as everyone left, the host club stood there, still amazed beyond belief.

"That was so… cool!" Mitsukuni exclaimed

"**She was incredible"** the twins said

"That was quite amazing for a girl like her. You never would have suspected someone like her to possess that kind of strength." Tamaki said dramatically

Kyoya just kept quiet, remembering the events with a clear vision.

"_Her moves were graceful, elegant, not rigid and full of brute force. She must have experience." _Kyoya thought to herself.

"Hey Kyoya, since you know _everyone_, tell us, who is she?" Hikaru asked.

"I'm sorry. I… don't know" Kyoya replied.

Everyone gasped at the reply. Kyoya knew everyone in the school and had everyone's profile and background data in check. So it was a shocker that he had nothing on this one girl.

"So who is she?" Kaoru asked.

That's the 10 million yen question that they were all thing thinking to themselves.

Just who was that girl?

Xxx

When Hitomiko heard the scream, she turned and saw a man in dark clothes trying to harass a student. She looked at her friends.

"I'll be back in a sec" She told them.

They nodded and she ran towards the girl. But she saw that the Host club was standing in her way.

"_Damn, they're in the way. Oh well, might as well go over them."_ She thought to herself

She grabbed the shoulders of one of the boys and started to flip over him. During the flip, she noticed that the boy she was on was Kyoya, the boy with the glasses. She landed on the ground and ran towards the man and girl. She hit his arm, making him let go of her and told the girl to run. She did so and she was left to deal with the man. She smirked at him.

"Now why would a guy like you be trying something on a poor, defenseless little girl? That's not very manly if you ask me. In fact, it's seems kind of low." She said, knowing it would taunt him.

"Your right, I prefer girls much like you. Tough, hardcore, and beautiful." He said.

"Well thank you, but flattery won't get you anywhere. You messed with the wrong private academy." She said, cracking her knuckles.

She could hear Kinami and Tohru cheering her on. As the man ran for her, she stepped to the side and he tripped over her foot. He then got up and tried to grab her. She ducked down and swiped her leg around, striking his leg causing him to fall over. She got up and waited for him to get up. Once he did, he started throwing his fists at her. After ducking three of them, she grabbed the fourth, twisted his arm and held it behind his back, and then kicked his back, causing him to head face first into the stone wall of the gates. When he turned around, staggering a bit, she drop-kicked him in the chest, throwing him against the wall, knocking him unconscious. After a minute of silence, the whole school yard was cheering. They started to surround Hitomiko as several teachers took the man away. She was able to squeeze her way out of the crowd and headed over to her friends. She waved goodbye to them all and she and her friends got in the limo.

"We can go know Hiro" she said

"Yes miss" Hiro replied

As he started driving, she sat back and sighed.

Kaede's chocolate chip muffins." She said

"Oh, I want one of those. I haven't had one those ever since you left for the U.S" Kinami said.

"Me too" Tohru said.

Hitomiko laughed.

"I'll ask her to make some for each of you to take home" she said with a smile.

"**Yeah!**" Both girls said excitedly.

"You know, you did real well today. That guy didn't know what to expect." Kinami said

"Right? Can't underestimate a girl based on their looks." Hitomiko replied.

"**So true**" Both girls replied

"So you think you're going to like it there?" Tohru asked

She thought about it for a minute, thinking about all that happened that day. She then smiled a little.

"I like it there. It will be a nice place to go to. And I'm going to do my best every day until graduation."

"That's our Hitomiko" Kinami smiled at her

**Soooo, whatcha think? Reply and tell me what do you think.**


	5. They finally meet

School went on normally after the incident. The Host club was back in business, and more girls were coming than normal because they all wanted to greet the boys and girl. During which time, Kyoya tried to find any sort of info on the girl, but always ended in a dead end. It started to really irritate him. He couldn't even focus on the party plans, which was only two days away. At first, he was beginning to think it was hopeless, but with luck, he met her once again. He was passing by the other music rooms as he was heading to the third one, when heard the music "Pachelbel Cannon" playing in the 2nd room. He opened the door to see who was playing, only to find the girl he has been trying to learn about for the past few days. She was playing the violin, with a gold charm bracelet hanging from her wrist, while some one played the piano with her. Her eyes were closed, and she had a smile on her face as she moved the bow back and forth on the instrument with ease. All Kyoya could do was watch, for the music paralyzed him to the doorframe. He could neither walk away nor come forward. He didn't want to disturb her as she was creating the beautiful sound. She looked like she was happy, peaceful. Once the song was over, she brought the violin down from her shoulder. The man playing the piano for her looked at his watch and stood up.

"I'm sorry miss, but I must go to my appointment" he said

"That's alright Shigure. Do your best!" she said with a smile

He bowed and started off. He passed by Kyoya with an "Excuse me" and took off down the hall. She put her violin in its case and locked it. When she looked up, she saw him and smiled.

"Hi there, you're Kyoya Ootori right? From the Host club?" she asked

"Yes, I am" he replied

She smiled again and crossed the room, holding out her hand

"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkazura. It's nice to meet you" she smiled at him.

He took her hand and smiled.

"_Finally, a last name. Now I can finally discover who you truly are."_ He thought to himself with pleasure

"By that look on your face, it's seems your happy to know my last name. Let me guess, you've been trying to do a background check on me, but haven't come up with any results. And now that you know my last name, you'll be able to get what you desire." She said

His eyes widened at what he heard. But then he smirked.

"You're quite smart. I'm impressed you were able to figure it out." He said

"It wasn't that hard to guess. When you now a person's name, you can find out all sorts of things about that person. You can find their age, height, weight, background, family members, criminal records, grades, accomplishments, etc. When you have a name, you have power over that person when it comes to matters between you and that person." She said

"That's an interesting theory." He replied

"Thank you. But I'm going to tell you ahead of time. Even if you have my last name now, your search will still be pointless." She said

His eyes widened again.

"And why is that?" He asked.

"Because all of the information on me was erased completely when I was 5 years old, then scrubbed clean so that no evidence of me exists. You must already know that the Shinkazura family is a big music company that helps talented people become idols, composers, musicians, and even writes and creates its own music for the public. It's a very big business, liked by everyone. Which makes the competitors very jealous. If they were to know that the family has a child, don't you think they might send someone to hurt that child so that the business will back off and not do anymore business?"

He thought about it. It was true that the Shinkazura family was a successful business. He then realized that what she said made sense. Competing companies would do anything to get ahead. So her family thought outside the box.

"Yes, that makes sense" he said.

"Good, now that you understand, you won't have to be disappointed when you come to dead end in your search." She said smiling.

She picked up her case and started to leave.

"Oh, and it really was nice meeting you. I hope we can be good friends in the future" She smiled once more at him, and then left.

He smiled a little bit, and went on to the third music room. He ignored Tamaki complaining about him being late and went to his table and wrote some things in his black book.

"_She's quite an interesting girl. It would be nice to see her again in the future"_ He thought to himself, shutting the book.

He decided to take her advice and went on continuing with the party plans for this Saturday.

Xxx

After the incident that day, Hitomiko and her friends went on with their daily lives. The girl she rescued brought her a gift as a thank you. A charm bracelet with her friends names hanging from it. She accepted the gift kindly and always wore it. Then one day, she and an old friend of hers, Shigure Saiga, decided to practice playing Pachelbel's Canon. When she started to play, she closed her eyes, remembering when she'd play for her mother and father all the time. It brought her happiness. The music filled her head with its lively tune. Once she was finished, Shigure Touma, one of her clients, left for an appointment. She put her violin back in its case and locked it. She looked up and saw the boy from before, the one she used to flip of the Host club, Kyoya Ootori.

"Hi there, you're Kyoya Ootori right? From the Host club?" she asked

"Yes, I am" he replied

She smiled and crossed the room with her hand held out to greet him.

"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkazura. It's nice to meet you" she smiled at him.

She saw the boy smile as he heard her last name. She then realized his purpose for being there. She smiled at him because it his face will probably be priceless once she reveals it.

"By that look on your face, it's seems your happy to know my last name. Let me guess, you've been trying to do a background check on me, but haven't come up with any results. And now that you know my last name, you'll be able to get what you desire." She said

As she expected, his eyes widened a bit once she said that, then his glasses glinted as he smirked.

"You're quite smart. I'm impressed you were able to figure it out." He said

"It wasn't that hard to guess. When you now a person's name, you can find out all sorts of things about that person. You can find their age, height, weight, background, family members, criminal records, grades, accomplishments, etc. When you have a name, you have power over that person when it comes to matters between you and that person." She said

"That's an interesting theory." He replied

"Thank you. But I'm going to tell you ahead of time. Even if you have my last name now, your search will still be pointless." She said

Kyoya's eye's widened again, which made her want to laugh.

"And why is that?" He asked her

"Because all of the information on me was erased completely when I was 5 years old, then scrubbed clean so that no evidence of me exists. You must already know that the Shinkazura family is a big music company that helps talented people become idols, composers, musicians, and even writes and creates its own music for the public. It's a very big business, liked by everyone. Which makes the competitors very jealous. If they were to know that the family has a child, don't you think they might send someone to hurt that child so that the business will back off and not do anymore business?" She said

He paused for a moment, in which she knew that he was pondering her statement. After another few moments, he smiled.

"Yes, that makes sense" he replied

"Good, now that you understand, you won't have to be disappointed when you come to dead end in your search." She said smiling

She picked up her case and started to leave.

"Oh, and it really was nice meeting you. I hope we can be good friends in the future" She smiled once more at him, and then left.

She took off down the hall way to the place where she promised to meet her friends for a study session and started helping them with their homework. While so she thought about the meeting with Kyoya.

"_It really would be nice to be his friend. He seems like an interesting person."_ She thought to herself with a smile.

"What? Did something nice happen?" Tohru asked

"Are you crushing on someone?" Kinami said jokingly

"Yes and no. Yes something good happened, and no I am not crushing on a boy. You and your fantasies Kinami." She said

They laughed and continued to study.


	6. First Dance

After his encounter with Hitomiko, Kyoya had continued with the party plans. Intrigued by her, he had an invitation sent to her as well. Soon Saturday came. The grand hall was decorated beautifully, with roses in each center table piece, candles lit even though there were lights, and glass orbs hanging by strings. Soon, lots and lots of girls came in, dressed up in pretty dresses and with their hair done. Then, the lights went out, leaving only the dim glow of the candles, and spotlights turned on, getting the girl's attention. Then, their beloved host club came out. They were all lined up at the balcony of the stairway. On the left side, it was Kaoru, Hikaru, and Haruhi. On the right, it was Takashi, Mitsukuni, and Kyoya. Tamaki was in the center, of course. Haruhi, however, was in a dress, and she looked like she didn't enjoy it. They all smiled and bowed. Then Tamaki spoke.

"Dear ladies, it has been a year since we have seen you. During that time, we were living in Boston, with our favorite scholar, Haruhi" He said

She nodded to them as the girls were all smiling and saying hi to her.

"But now we have returned and ready to host you once again. So tonight, you will all get your chance to dance with us to start of the year."

The girls cheered and clapped.

"But don't be jealous if I don't pay as much attention to you as I do Haruhi. She is my girlfriend after all." He said, putting an arm around her.

Haruhi turned a bit pink as the girls squealed at the sight, saying stuff like how they were jealous of haruhi and that she was really lucky.

"As Tamaki said, we are yours and yours alone for tonight. So feel free to dance as long as you wish." Kyoya said.

So after that, the music started, and the boys started dancing with the girls. Haruhi danced with them too, except it was funny how she danced with the girls as if she was a boy. During the party, Kyoya looked around once in a while to see if he could find Hitomiko, but she still hadn't showed up yet. Later, everyone stopped dancing for a while to have some refreshments. That's when she showed up. Kyoya saw her as she entered the hall. She was wearing a sparkly dark grey dress that had one shoulder strap and a silk black waist sash that was tied in the back, and grey ankle-high heeled boots. Her long black hair was put in a ponytail with curls at the ends. Shockingly, his cheeks turned a very faint pink and you couldn't see his eyes because the light was tinting his glasses. When she saw him, she smiled and walked over to him.

"Hi there Kyoya. It's nice seeing you again." She said

"Yes, its good see you again too." He replied

"Thank you for the invitation. You really outdid yourself here, it's beautiful." She said

"Thank you. So, will you do me the honor of having a dance with me" He asked

She laughed, and then curtsied.

"It would be my pleasure" she said

He took her hand and led her to the floor, and then they started to dance as the music began to play. It was really a nice sight. They waltzed back and forth, left and right, she twirled a couple of times, and they waltzed some more. They talked to each other while doing so.

"So, why were you late arriving? I believe I put the time to be here on the invitation." He asked

"Oh, I had to take care of some business. One of my maids accidently cut herself with a filleting knife, so we had her sent off to the hospital." She said

"Do you think she'll be okay?" he asked

"Oh yeah, she'll be fine. I had her sent to your family hospital, so she's in good hands"

"Is that so?" he said.

He looked away for a minute, and then smirked.

"What's so funny?" she asked

"This sort of reminds me of that American fairytale, Cinderella. The princess wishes to attend the ball, but is side tracked by chores and difficult problems. Her fairy godmother helps her look beautiful and sends her off to the ball where the lonely prince falls in love with her." He replied

She then gave him a questioningly smirk, then got up and close in his face.

"So, are _you_ the lonely prince who falls in love with Cinderella?" she asked with a smug grin

Again, his cheeks became a very slight pink as he backed away from her. He coughed as he regained his composure. He then smiled his demon smile.

"Of course not. Though it seems you refer to yourself as Cinderella." He said

"So? Every girl wishes they were a princess sometime in their life. They dream of finding their prince charming, riding off into the sunset on horseback, getting married and living in a castle, wearing tiaras and dresses, etc. I guess I sometimes wish that could happen to me as well, but it's mostly just a passing thought. Dreams are something that keeps people's imagination alive. So there really isn't any harm to put yourself into that story, to make yourself the main character of the fairytale. Because even though it wouldn't truly happen in reality, you can always dream."

"Interesting, I never would have thought about that way" he said

"Sometimes you can't just think so critically." She said, shrugging

They continued dancing as the music went on.

"So are you ready for our first test in homeroom?" She asked

"Of course. How about yourself?" he said

"I know I am. She said it's a test to see what we know, but you can never be too prepared." She said

"I agree" he said.

When the music stopped, she smiled at him and bowed.

"I have to go home now. Beautiful party, it was really nice. Thank you for the invite. I'll see you in class Monday." She said

"You're welcome" he replied

She left and he smirked.

"_She truly is an interesting woman"_ He thought.

Xxx

After her encounter with Kyoya, Hitomiko went on with her normal routine. A day later, she received an invitation to a party the host club was throwing. When she showed it to her friends who were visiting her, Kinami sighed.

"Aw, you're so lucky. Those guys are hot." She said in a whining tone.

"Hey, don't complain. Besides, she might not go anyways." Tohru said.

"Oh I'm going. It'd be nice to see Kyoya again" she said

"Wait, when did you become smitten with Kyoya?" Kinami asked

"Were not smitten, I just want to become good friends with him, so if I go, I can talk to him and get to know him better." She replied

"That's a good idea, you should go" Tohru said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay, if you're going to a party, we have to get you ready." Kinami said, rubbing her hands together.

"Oh please tell me this isn't going to be another makeover spree where you go overboard with getting me ready for a little party" Hitomiko sighed

"I am offended that you would suggest such a thing. I do not go overboard. I merely look over all the possibilities that could make you the belle of the ball."

"Meaning you go overboard." Tohru said

Before Kinami could argue anymore, Hitomiko stuck a brownie in her mouth. After eating it, they stared at one another for a few seconds, and then they all laughed.

"But seriously, please let me help you. I promise I won't go 'overboard', so PLEASE!"

"Alright, alright." Hitomiko said, laughing at her friend's pleads.

So they went out to find the perfect dress. After looking through several different stores, they finally found the perfect dress and shoes. It was a sparkly dark grey dress with one shoulder strap and a silk black waist sash that ties in the back, and a pair of dark grey ankle high-heeled boots. When the day of the party came, Kinami and Tohru came over to get her prepared.

"Hi Hitomiko" Tohru said

"Hi Tohru, hi Kinami" she said

"So, you ready to look beautiful" Kinami asked with a grin

"Yeah, yeah, go on and do what you wish. But remember, no going overboard" she said

"Whatever, let's get to work." Kinami said, ignoring what Hitomiko said.

After 30 minutes, they had finished her hair and makeup. They had put her hair up into a high ponytail and curled the ends. They had put on silver and greyish blue makeup on her eyes and natural color lipstick that makes it look like you're not wearing any at all. Before she put on her clothes, apparently one of the maids had cut herself with a filleting knife as she was preparing dinner for Hitomiko's guests. Hitomiko had her sent to the Ootori Clinic because it was close by. She then finally got on her dress and shoes and took a look at herself in the mirror.

"You look amazing Hitomiko" Tohru said

"I believe my work here is done" Kinami said

"Good job Kinami, you didn't go overboard." Hitomiko said

Kinami rolled her eyes and the two girls lead their friend to the limo parked outside her house.

"What are you guys going to do while I'm gone?" Hitomiko asked

"Oh, we'll just hand out here and play some of those video games you bought."

"Oh, quick warning, if you play Uncharted, look out for those zombies, their freaking creepy and they keep popping up everywhere you turn. And if you would, please check up on Shizuka at the hospital for me. I would hate it if she left alone there." Hitomiko said

"Sure, we'll do that" Kinami replied

"And thanks for the warning, now go have a good time" Tohru said

"Alright, I'll see you guys later." She said and got in the car.

During the drive there, she listened to "High School Never Ends" by Bowling For Soup to pass the time. When she got there, she made her way through the hallways and into the grand hall where the party was held. The grand hall was decorated beautifully, with roses in each center table piece, candles lit even though there were lights, and glass orbs hanging by strings. There were already people there, girls in particular. A few were dancing with the host club members, who were hosting the event. As Hitomiko looked around, she spotted Kyoya, who turned and saw her. She smiled and walked over to him.

"Hi there Kyoya. It's nice seeing you again." She said

"Yes, it's good see you again too." He replied

"Thank you for the invitation. You really outdid yourself here, it's beautiful." She said

"Thank you. So, will you do me the honor of having a dance with me" He asked

She laughed, and then curtsied.

"It would be my pleasure" she said

He took her hand and led her to the floor, and then they started to dance as the music began to play. It was really a nice sight. They waltzed back and forth, left and right, she twirled a couple of times, and they waltzed some more. They talked to each other while doing so.

"So, why were you late arriving? I believe I put the time to be here on the invitation." He asked

"Oh, I had to take care of some business. One of my maids accidently cut herself with a filleting knife, so we had her sent off to the hospital." She said

"Do you think she'll be okay?" he asked

"Oh yeah, she'll be fine. I had her sent to your family hospital, so she's in good hands"

"Is that so?" he said.

He looked away for a minute, and then smirked.

"What's so funny?" she asked

"This sort of reminds me of that American fairytale, Cinderella. The princess wishes to attend the ball, but is side tracked by chores and difficult problems. Her fairy godmother helps her look beautiful and sends her off to the ball where the lonely prince falls in love with her." He replied

She then gave him a questioningly smirk, then got up and close in his face.

"So, are _you_ the lonely prince who falls in love with Cinderella?" she asked with a smug grin

She saw his cheeks become a very slight pink as he backed away from her. He coughed as he regained his composure. He then smiled a demon-like smile.

"Of course not. Though it seems you refer to yourself as Cinderella." He said

"So? Every girl wishes they were a princess sometime in their life. They dream of finding their prince charming, riding off into the sunset on horseback, getting married and living in a castle, wearing tiaras and dresses, etc. I guess I sometimes wish that could happen to me as well, but it's mostly just a passing thought. Dreams are something that keeps people's imagination alive. So there really isn't any harm to put yourself into that story, to make yourself the main character of the fairytale. Because even though it wouldn't truly happen in reality, you can always dream."

"Interesting, I never would have thought about that way" he said

"Sometimes you can't just think so critically." She said, shrugging

They continued dancing as the music went on.

"So are you ready for our first test in homeroom?" She asked

"Of course. How about yourself?" he said

"I know I am. She said it's a test to see what we know, but you can never be too prepared." She said

"I agree" he said.

When the music stopped, she smiled at him and bowed.

"I have to go home now. Beautiful party, it was really nice. Thank you for the invite. I'll see you in class Monday." She said

"You're welcome" he replied

She smiled and left. When she got to her limo, she was driven back and when she got into the house, she found Tohru and Kinami asleep in front of the TV that was flashing images of the game they were playing. She smiled at them, got a blanket, and put it over them.

"These two are such a hand full" she said

She went and got into her PJ's, got a blanket and pillow, and laid down on the couch that was next to the TV.

"Good night you guys" she said

"_It was nice talking to you again Kyoya. I hope we can talk like that again soon."_ She thought with a smile, then went to sleep.


	7. Fair Warning

***Note to all readers: I apologize for not writing for so long. I have been busy with school, social life, chores, you get the picture ****. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

Kyoya could not help but think of the dark-haired mystery girl from time to time. Ever since the party, it was hard for him to forget about her. He had no clues as to who she is, which made him even more intrigued. He did discover that she used to attend the school during both elementary and middle school years, but in her ninth year, she transferred. To where, he didn't know. What fascinated him the most was that she was the first person he had met whom he knew nothing about. It interested him, but it also irritated him.

On the drive to school, he was looking at the profiles for potential hosts, for once he, Tamaki, Haruhi, and the twins graduate, they would need some new people to keep the club going. But even with that occupying his time, he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to Hitomiko. He, of course, knew the outcome of the results for the home room test, but she had such a positive attitude towards it, like she knew she was going to succeed. He didn't understand it.

As soon as he got to school, he was swarmed by girls. He noticed some of his regular customers from the club, and other members all together. But what truly caught his eye was the raven-haired beauty that he had been thinking about before step out of her limo with her friends. She happened to notice him and smiled and waved. He politely nodded and headed for class. As he was walking down the hall to the classroom, he heard footsteps running towards him. The feet belonged to Hitomiko as she ran up to him with a smile on her face.

"Good morning Kyoya!" She said cheerfully

"Good morning Miss Hitomiko." He replied with a fake smile.

"You know, you don't have to use 'Miss' with my name. We are the same age. You can call me Hitomiko." She said

"If that's what you would prefer" He replied, looking into his black book.

Hitomiko nodded and they walked into the classroom. He sat down in his desk and she sat in the one in front of him.

"So, ready for the test?" She asked eagerly.

"Yes, and are you?"He asked

"Quite" she replied with a pride-filled smile.

He nodded and went back to his book. He then realized her friends had vanished, for he remembered that she was alone when they had met. Which was odd, because they always walked with her to her classroom, despite the fact they were in a different grade level?

"Pardon me, but where are your friends, Ms Kinami & Ms. Tohru?" He asked curiously.

Then, strangely enough, Hitomiko began to laugh a bit. After that, she looks at him with a smile.

"They're in the assistant principal's office." She said

He looked at her with surprise and she laughed a bit more.

"Well, you see, as we were walking down the hall, Kinami saw a girl whose hair was a bit messy. She went over and gave the girl a few tips on how to style it better. The girl got defensive, saying that Kinami was calling her ugly, which was not the case, mind you. She and Kinami then got into a fight. Not a physical fight, but a verbal one. I tried to calm them down, but they were already down each other's throats to where I couldn't reach them. A teacher came and had them sent to the AP. Tohru went with Kinami to be her witness" she explained, laughing a bit more.

"I don't see how that's funny" Kyoya said

"Well, of course, fighting isn't funny. That I know. But it was good to see that Kinami is still her usual self, getting into trouble whether she did it or not. It made me feel like things are going back to how they used to be before… before I left." She said, laying her head in her arms.

He just watched her as she returned to her seat. He then noticed some girls in a group, glaring at Hitomiko, who didn't notice. He couldn't help but smirk.

"_Well, it looks like we'll have some trouble in the near future."_ He thought to himself.

Soon, the teacher came and class began. After roll, the test began. After 15 minutes, he turned it in, which didn't surprise anyone. The teacher handed him his homework and he went back to his seat. He noticed from his desk that Hitomiko was still working. He decided to work on his homework so that he wouldn't have to do it later. He barely noticed time fly, for as soon as he knew it, the bell rang throughout the halls. He collected his things and left. Soon, at lunch, he met up with Tamaki and went to their table. He scanned the cafeteria like he normally does. He noticed girls from the club huddled in a group, red-faced and looking over their shoulders towards his table.

"_More fans"_ He thought to himself

As he continued to scan, he saw Hitomiko with her friends, taking their lunches to a table not too far from his. As they sat down, he noticed some guys staring Hitomiko, though she didn't seem to notice. Oddly enough, he felt slightly irritated at this. He tried to shake it off, but failed. Tamaki followed Kyoya's gaze and saw the target. He smiled at this.

"Hey Kyoya, isn't that Hitomiko Shinkuzura, the new girl?" He asked

"Yes" Kyoya replied

"I believe it's time we be properly introduced." He said with a grin.

Before Kyoya could protest, Tamaki went off towards Hitomiko's table. He watched as he introduced himself to Hitomiko and her friends. What he wasn't expecting was that Tamaki invited them to sit at his table, which they had agreed to, for they got up and brought their trays with them.

"_Damn it. Why must Tamaki be such an imbecile" _he thought to himself.

Once they reached the table, Kyoya put on a fake smile.

"Hello Hitomiko, a pleasure seeing you again." He said

"Hi Kyoya. How's your day been so far?" She asked with a smile.

"Fine, just fine, thank you." He replied

They sat down just as Haruhi and the twins got to the table.

"Hey, who are they?" Hikaru asked

"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. We were previously seated over there, but Tamaki came and asked us to sit with you guys. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Haruhi Fujioka. This is Hikaru and this is Kaoru Hitachin. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied.

They sat down and they started different conversations with one another. Kyoya just simply watched as Hitomiko and her friends chatted away with his friends. As he watched, he heard Haruhi ask Hitomiko a very interesting question.

"So tell me more about your family's company. I know it's a major music industry, but what's its main focus?" She asked, munching on a carrot.

At this moment, Kyoya was relieved that he already had his notebook and pencil in hand. He started to write more things down to pretend he didn't hear.

"Well, our primary goal is to discover & debut talented singers and musicians. On the side, we write and compose pieces of music which can later be put to use for beginners & trainees. We also started a college for the performing arts, including theater. We strive to help those who are willing to take the steps necessary to make it into showbiz. We even have our own saying. It's, **'**_**Music is the sound of all life, and everyone has their own melody. If you bring them all together, you can create one perfect harmony. But the only way to do so is to listen close, because if you do... you might hear something beyond your expectations.**__'_ I have always lived by that saying, looking for the types of melodies in all people. Like you, Haruhi, your melody is kind of like a fun pop song that most people play at parties just for the fun of it. It's not too fast, but not too slow either. For Tamaki, it's one of those fast, energetic, life-filled rock songs that makes people want to get up and dance. For Kyoya, it's a smooth jazz song that makes people relax and reflect on life. And for Hikaru & Kaoru, it's a romance song with seductive tones and heart-like beats. With all these sounds combined, it creates an awesome song. You just got to know where to put the right parts in the right places. And that is what you did when you formed the club. Oh, I'm sorry, I was talking too much, wasn't I?" Hitomiko said

"No, I enjoyed listening to what you have to say." Haruhi said

"You certainly have a way of seeing things, don't you?" Tamaki said with a smile

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Somehow, she always manages to find something good even in the stupidest of songs. And even in people, she can move them with her words. A good trait she has, huh?" Kinami said.

Tohru nodded at this, and Hitomiko gave them both a small hug. Kyoya had taken up in his black book pretty much everything Hitomiko had said. The parts that seemed darker with pencil lead were her company's saying and the part about his melody. He was now a step closer to discovering more about her. What he noticed, though, was that Kinami gave him an evil glare and flicked a folded piece of paper over to his tray, fast enough to where no one noticed. He picked up the paper and put it in his black book. Once everyone left for their classes after lunch, he got settled in his desk and took out the paper. He opened it to find a note written in cursive. It said 'Meet in 2nd Music Room, 3pm. Come alone.' As to why they wished to meet him, he didn't know. But one thing was for sure, it had something to do with Hitomiko. After all, why else would a girl he didn't know glare at him and tell him to come along when meeting her. If it was a confession of love, which he usually got, she definitely wouldn't have glared at him. In fact, her face would have been red as the roses they shower people with. But she wasn't, so it wasn't a confession. And since she was friends with Hitomiko, it only made sense that it had something to do with Hitomiko. So after the last bell rang, he headed out for the second music room. He wasn't worried about anything. There was no club meeting today, so he didn't have worry about that. And his father was out of town with his brothers, so no one would really notice him gone for an extra few minutes.

Once he reached music room #2, he saw Kinami sitting in a swivel office chair. She was reading a novel, 'Just Listen' by Sarah Dessen. When she looked up and saw him, she put down the book and put her hands in her lap.

"Please, have a seat Mr. Ootori." She said, gesturing to a chair near hers.

"Thank you" He replied, sitting in the chair, placing his belongings on a nearby table.

Kinami looked at him a bit, then put her hands together.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here." She began

"I'm assuming it's about Ms. Hitomiko, am I correct?" He asked, pushing his glasses to his face

Kinami's eyes widened a bit, then she smirked

"Yes. You are quite perceptive. But I am positive that as to what about Hitomiko I have called you here for is still a mystery to you, correct?" She said

"Yes" He replied

"Well, it's time you knew. Now, Hitomiko wishes to become your friend. As her friends, we want her to be happy and we support her with what she wants. But we also know of your history of exploiting people and using them by finding 'interesting details' about them. We only brought you here to make sure you understand a few things." She said, looking straight at him.

"_We?" _He thought to himself

He looked around a bit, but saw no one. But what he didn't realize until now is that someone had gone into his bag and had taken his black book.

"You know, you're quite the note-taker. I'm impressed you were able to write that much down, considering how fast she was talking." Another voice said

Kyoya turned to see Tohru Matsumoto leaning against that wall, reading a section in his black book. What didn't bother him was how she got there, but it was the fact that she was reading his black book.

"I would appreciate it if you give me back my property." He glared at her.

"Calm yourself, sempai. We have no interest in black mail. Tohru, give him back his stuff." Kinami said

Tohru tossed the book back onto the table where it slid towards the bag. She went over and stood next to Kinami.

"I apologize. Now, there are some things you should now. As Tohru pointed out, you're a smart man. Now while we appreciate smart people, we also know that smart people can figure things out quick. So we just wish to say this now; keep your nose out of things that don't belong to you yet. If you truly wish to know things about Hitomiko, you're going to have to learn it the old-fashioned way. By being friends with her and asking things about her. If she's willing to tell you, then she will. But if not, you're going to have to wait." She said to him

"I don't know what you talking about" He said, staring straight at her.

Tohru walked up to him, leaned down to where he could see his face, and glared at him.

"You know exactly what we are talking about. Now you need to stop doing background checks on Hitomiko! Even if you discovered the truth, you would barely even be scratching the surface of the iceberg of problems Hitomiko has gone through. And we are not going to stand by and watch you as you search for some key piece of knowledge that could give you leverage over her. We are only going to say this once, and once only. You hurt Hitomiko, and we hurt you. Got it?" She said

She and Kinami then began to leave the room. Kinami stopped at the door and looked back at him.

"You should consider this. Once you've discovered the truth, there's no going back." She said, his back still facing her.

She then left the room with Tohru and left Kyoya sitting there, pondering the meaning of what they had told him. It surprised him how Tohru acted, for it was like she was a totally different person.

"_What is going on? I don't understand at all. Her life couldn't be that messed up if she can smile like that all the time. I just don't understand" _He thought to himself.

XXX

"_Hitomiko, where do you think we should go to eat" Her mom asked_

_Hitomiko was sitting in the back, texting Kinami as she, her mom, and her dad were just coming back from a concert. It was a newest debut, Avril Lavigne, with her album 'Let Go'. She looked up and smiled at her mother._

"_You choose. I don't have any preferences" she replied_

_Her mom nodded and looked over at her husband. They began discussing where they should go. What they didn't see was the drunken truck driver behind them, going at 85 miles an hour. Hitomiko looked up and saw in the reflection of the head mirror the speeding truck._

"_Dad, look out!" She screamed_

_But before he could react, the truck smashed into the back of the car and sent it over the side of the road into a ditch. Once they crashed, everything went dark to Hitomiko. The next thing she new, she was in an ambulance. After going dark again, she found herself in the hospital. She then realized she couldn't find her parents anywhere. She started to take out the blood needle and the IV line as the doctor came in and stopped her._

"_You can't do that. You need to rest." He said soothingly_

"_Where are my parents? I need to see them!" she said_

_After a moment of consideration, he solemnly nodded to her request and he took her down the hall. As they were walking down, she noticed the sign at the top of the double doors said '__**Morgue'. **_

"_Wait… No, wait… no, it can't be! Stop… I don't want to go in there! It's not true! They're not in there! Take me to where they really are!" she cried_

"_I'm sorry. But this is truly where they are held." The doctor replied sadly_

"_No… No… No!" Hitomiko cried as the doors opened, white light pouring from the inside_

Hitomiko woke with a start. She got out of bed and ran down the hall to where Kaede slept.

"Kaede" Hitomiko called

Luckily, Kaede was awake at the time. She was sitting on a quilt-covered rocking chair, reading a novel. She looked up and saw Hitomiko's sad face.

"Oh dear, you had that dream again, didn't you?" She asked, putting the novel down.

Hitomiko shook her head. Kaede got up and went over to her. They both walked to her room, Kaede holding Hitomiko's shoulder as they walked. Once they got to her room, she got Hitomiko into bed and sat with her until she fell asleep, holding her hand the entire time. Kaede felt very bad for Hitomiko. Ever since the crash, Hitomiko has been plagued with nightmares about the day her parents died. She didn't deserve this pain, what with having to deal with school, the company, and social life.

In the morning, Kaede brought breakfast up to Hitomiko to make her feel better. Once she ate, she got ready for school, ignoring Kaede's suggestion of staying home.

"I'm fine. I can't just stay home because of a bad memory." She said with a slight smile.

Soon after, Hitomiko left for school, working on papers that needed signing for an upcoming concert at her College. She had Hiro pick up Kinami and Tohru, who seemed to notice the slightly grey circles under her eyes. They then new that it was _that _dream. Only that dream would cause her not to sleep. Once they reached school, Hitomiko saw Kyoya, who was swarmed with girls, and waved to him with a smile. He nodded politely back to her and she went on into the school with her friends. On the way to class, however, Kinami got into a fight with another girl, so she and Tohru went to the AP's office with the other girl to straighten things out. As she continued to class, she saw Kyoya walking alone and ran up to him.

"Good morning Kyoya!" She said cheerfully

"Good morning Miss Hitomiko." He replied with a fake smile, which she could obviously see.

"You know, you don't have to use 'Miss' with my name. We are the same age. You can call me Hitomiko." She said

"If that's what you would prefer" He replied, looking into his black book.

Hitomiko nodded and they walked into the classroom. Kyoya sat down in his desk and she decided to sit in the one in front of his.

"So, ready for the test?" She asked eagerly.

"Yes, and are you?"He asked

"Quite" she replied with a pride-filled smile.

He nodded and went back to his book. After a minute, she heard him speak again.

"Pardon me, but where are your friends, Ms Kinami & Ms. Tohru?" He asked curiously.

Then, strangely enough, Hitomiko began to laugh a bit. After that, she looks at him with a smile.

"They're in the assistant principal's office." She said

He looked at her with surprise and she laughed a bit more.

"Well, you see, as we were walking down the hall, Kinami saw a girl whose hair was a bit messy. She went over and gave the girl a few tips on how to style it better. The girl got defensive, saying that Kinami was calling her ugly, which was not the case, mind you. She and Kinami then got into a fight. Not a physical fight, but a verbal one. I tried to calm them down, but they were already down each other's throats to where I couldn't reach them. A teacher came and had them sent to the AP. Tohru went with Kinami to be her witness" she explained, laughing a bit more.

"I don't see how that's funny" Kyoya said

"Well, of course, fighting isn't funny. That I know. But it was good to see that Kinami is still her usual self, getting into trouble whether she did it or not. It made me feel like things are going back to how they used to be before… before I left." She said, laying her head in her arms.

She smiled and then left for her desk. Soon, sensei came in, took roll, and began the test. After about 12 minutes, she turned it in to the teacher, who was a bit surprised. She gave Hitomiko her homework and she went back to her seat. 3 minutes later, she noticed Kyoya turn his in. She continued to work on her homework, not realizing that time had gone by, for as soon as she completed her homework, the bell rang. She then left for the cafeteria, where her friends were waiting.

"So, did you get that whole mishap taken care of?" She asked with a smirk

"Yes. I don't know what that girl's problem was. It was just advice. Besides, she should have known someone was going to mention her bed-head sooner or later. It's not like she could have avoided it. I just beat them all to the punch." Kinami said, still upset about it.

"You know, you could have found a better way to say it." Tohru replied

"What's better than saying 'Hey, your hair is okay and all, but you should really try doing it this way'?" She asked

Tohru face-palmed as Hitomiko laughed to it and they went to sit at their table.

"So you feel you did well on the test?" Tohru asked

"Of course. I feel I knew every answer on there." She said with a smile.

"You're so lucky, having a photographic memory. If I had that, my parents would leave me alone about my grades." Kinami said, chewing on an apple slice.

As they continued to talk, Tamaki Suoh came up to them.

"Hello ladies, my name is Tamaki Suoh, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said with a courteous smile

""Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied with a smile.

"I was wondering if you 3 would like to join me and Kyoya over at our table." He said

"Well that sounds great, doesn't it?" She said, looking over at her friends.

"Yeah, we'll get to meet the elusive Shadow King, Kyoya Ootori." Kinami said with an evil smirk.

They picked up their trays and walked over to the table where Kyoya sat. He greeted them with a fake smile, which they could easily tell.

"Hello Hitomiko, a pleasure seeing you again." He said

"Hi Kyoya. How's your day been so far?" She asked with a smile.

"Fine, just fine, thank you." He replied

They sat down just as a girl and two twin boys got to the table.

"Hey, who are they?" One boy asked

"Hi, I'm Hitomiko Shinkuzura, these are my friends Kinami Shouta, and Tohru Matsumoto. We were previously seated over there, but Tamaki came and asked us to sit with you guys. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Haruhi Fujioka. This is Hikaru and this is Kaoru Hitachin. It's a pleasure to meet you too." She replied.

They sat down and they started different conversations with one another. Haruhi then asked Hitomiko a very interesting question.

"So tell me more about your family's company. I know it's a major music industry, but what's its main focus?" She asked, munching on a carrot.

"Well, our primary goal is to discover & debut talented singers and musicians. On the side, we write and compose pieces of music which can later be put to use for beginners & trainees. We also started a college for the performing arts, including theater. We strive to help those who are willing to take the steps necessary to make it into showbiz. We even have our own saying. It's, **'**_**Music is the sound of all life, and everyone has their own melody. If you bring them all together, you can create one perfect harmony. But the only way to do so is to listen close, because if you do... you might hear something beyond your expectations.**__'_ I have always lived by that saying, looking for the types of melodies in all people. Like you, Haruhi, your melody is kind of like a fun pop song that most people play at parties just for the fun of it. It's not too fast, but not too slow either. For Tamaki, it's one of those fast, energetic, life-filled rock songs that makes people want to get up and dance. For Kyoya, it's a smooth jazz song that makes people relax and reflect on life. And for Hikaru & Kaoru, it's a romance song with seductive tones and heart-like beats. With all these sounds combined, it creates an awesome song. You just got to know where to put the right parts in the right places. And that is what you did when you formed the club. Oh, I'm sorry, I was talking too much, wasn't I?" Hitomiko said

"No, I enjoyed listening to what you have to say." Haruhi said

"You certainly have a way of seeing things, don't you?" Tamaki said with a smile

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. Somehow, she always manages to find something good even in the stupidest of songs. And even in people, she can move them with her words. A good trait she has, huh?" Kinami said.

Tohru nodded at this, and Hitomiko gave them both a small hug. Soon after lunch, they all went back to class. After class, Hitomiko waited for her friends by the gate, but was surprised by the text she got.

**Going to stay after for some things we have to do. We'll call you tomorrow. Get some sleep!**

"Huh, so they knew after all." She said, closing her phone.

Once she got home, she put 'I Write Sins, Not Tragedies' by Panic at the Disco on the I Pod device that is connected to all the speakers in the house, so that she could listen to it where ever she went. She went into the library and began to study more while signing more papers. She couldn't help but think about her dream. Her parents were her life. When they had died, it was like she had died too. But now they were gone, so she had to deal with it.

"_I just hope that soon, one day, I can forgive myself for allowing them to die like I did."_ She thought to herself


	8. Profiles

Profiles

Hitomiko Shinkuzura 

Age: 18

Height: 5'7''

Weight: 45.45 kilos

DOB: May 19, 1995

School(s): Ouran, Willridge high, South Beach high

Clubs: Archery, Choral, Student Council, & Newspaper.

Nationality: Japanese

Star sign: Taurus

Blood type: O

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Green

Occupation: Third-year high school student, CEO of the Shinkuzura Music Corporation.

Favorite Subjects: Music, Math, and English

Least Favorite Subjects: World Geography

Favorite Foods: Pocky, Dr. Pepper, salads with Italian dressing and cheese, and teriyaki.

Least Favorite Foods: Olives, Lasagna, Boiled eggs, and Tuna

Hobbies: Puzzles, reading, singing, playing softball, eating Dr. Pepper floats.

Personality: She has a kind heart. She always thinks of others before herself. She smiles all the time due to a promise she made to her parents before they died. Although she is caring and sweet all the time, when alone, she will scream out in frustration when stressed out. She likes to sleep in on weekends when not busy and likes to watch romance/comedy films. She would do anything for her friends, who have been there for her since they were children. Because of her being a CEO, she is a hard-worker and dedicated student/businesswoman. Though she sometimes wishes she could run away from all the responsibility.

Kinami Shouta 

Age: 17

Height: 5'6''

Weight: 68.18 kilos

DOB: April 10, 1996

School: Ouran

Clubs: Sewing & Cosmetology club

Nationality: Japanese(father)/American(mother)

Star sign: Aries

Blood type: A+

Hair color: Blond

Eye Color: Blue

Occupation: 2nd year high school student

Favorite Subjects: Cosmetology, PE, and French

Least Favorite Subjects: Math, Science, History, English (yeah, she hates the 4 core )

Favorite Foods: Root beer, Egg rolls, and crepes

Least favorite foods: Blueberries, Squid, and Celery

Hobbies: Dressing up her friends, playing pranks, shopping, and softball

Personality: She is the queen of jokes and pranks. She is brash, straightforward, and naïve to how others think of her. She is in love with fashion and cosmetology, wanting to become a famous beautician and fashion designer when she graduates. She is like a father figure to Hitomiko, making sure jealous girls and enemies keep their distance from her. She often slaps boys who say stupid things on the back of the head, treating girls kindly. She has a hard time focusing on studying, because she doesn't like taking tests or going to class. She is also a boy-crazy girl, having a long dating history. She is the one who judges the guys who confess to Hitomiko, making sure they are not womanizers.

Tohru Matsumoto

Age 17

Height: 4'8''

Weight: 56.82

DOB: September 12, 1996

School: Ouran

Clubs: Photography & Art

Nationality: Japanese(father)/Irish American (mother)

Star sign: Virgo

Blood Type: AB

Hair Color: Red

Eye Color: Green

Occupation: 2nd year high school student

Favorite Subjects: Art, Science, Geography

Least Favorite Subjects: P.E.

Favorite Foods: Udon, melon bread, yogurt, and Irish stew

Least Favorite Foods: Crubeens, sushi, and peanut butter

Hobbies: Painting, drawing, sculpting, movie watching

Personality: She is the calmer side of Hitomiko's friends, the one who usually has to settle Kinami down when she is flying of the handle. She loves art, wanting to be an artist when she is older. Although her type is AB, she wakes up normally. She likes science and geography because then she can get ideas for painting landscapes and nature. She is the mother figure for Hitomiko, encouraging her to do anything she wants. Because something in their past, Tohru is very protective of Hitomiko, willing to do anything for her. She often doesn't voice her opinions, for she lets Kinami do that for her. She gets Kinami to focus when studying, and absolutely hates exercising.


	9. Midnight Thoughts

Kyoya woke up with a sigh, feeling he did not get nearly as much sleep as he normally does. And normally, it's not that much. He kicked the blankets off of him, allowing the cold air to cool him off. Looking at the clock, his feeling was confirmed when he saw 12:02 on his digital clock. He sighed again, turned his head back towards the ceiling, and closed his eyes, hoping to catch a few more hours of sleep. Though after 30 minutes, he ultimately gave up. He reached for his glasses, then his laptop. After starting it up, he put the brightness level on the lowest setting it had so that he doesn't hurt his eyes. Since he already finished his school work for the week, he just casually surfed the web, not caring what popped up. He then began to think of last week's encounter with Hitomiko's two friends. He still couldn't understand what they were so concerned about. Sure Ms. Shinkuzura was an interesting woman, and she certainly had the kind of merit worth pursuing. But he wasn't interested in her in _that_ kind of way. The concept of love and affections wasn't a topic he cared about. There was once a time when Haninozuka sempai suggested he had affections for Haruhi. But that wasn't true either. She had no merit to offer and she certainly didn't interest him enough to pursue her. Besides, she is the one for Tamaki. And thanks to her, he didn't have to deal with Tamaki's crazy antics as much as he used to, since now he mostly takes it out on the twins. But when her friends, Kinami and Tohru, confronted him about his investigation about the one person in Ouran he knew nothing about, they said he would have to be friends with her in order to actually learn anything. Which in all honesty seemed rather bothersome. But what was even more confusing was what they said about Hitomiko.

"_Even if you discovered the truth, you would barely even be scratching the surface of the iceberg of problems Hitomiko has gone through."_

That was what he didn't understand. Exactly what has happened in her life that amounts to an "iceberg of problems?" Because from what he saw, she was a cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl who had a smile for anything that was presented to her.

Whatever the reason, he was more concerned with his affairs than that of Hitomiko. He rubbed his temples a bit, then put his laptop back on his desk. He looked at the clock again, which said 12:46. He sighed again, got into bed, and closed his eyes. He then laughed a bit. He knew how his friends were scared of him when he wakes up. But if they saw him now, they might reconsider, which is something he did not want. Because if they did, Tamaki might attempt to wake him some other time, and that was not an appealing thought. After a few minutes of laying in silence, he thankfully fell back to sleep.

XXX

"_Mom! Dad!" 10 year old Hitomiko called_

"_We're coming, we're coming. Try to slow down a bit sweetie" Hitomiko's mother, Michiru, laughed_

"_Yeah, your mom and I aren't as young as we used to be" Hitomiko's father, Kaname, smiled_

_Hitomiko continued to run up the hill until she finally reached the Shinkuzura summerhouse. She got onto the porch and looked out, awing the view. Her parents finally made it to the top and joined her in watching the trees sway in the wind._

"_It's beautiful, isn't Hitomiko?" Her father asked_

"_Yes! It's amazing!" Hitomiko smiled. _

(Flash)

Hitomiko woke with a sad smile. She sat up in her bed and looked at her alarm clock, which said 12:13. She looked down for a bit, then got out of bed. She felt the cold air hit her as the covers came off, which felt good to her. She always, for some reason, gets really hot when she sleeps. When she was little, her parents thought she was running a temperature, but when she got checked up, their doctor concluded that she was merely one of those people whose body temperature rises when sleeping. At times, it was nice when the weather was very cold. But other times, it's a burden when it's really hot out. Which is why she never wore regular pajamas. Her night attire normally consists of a purple tank top and black shorts. Kaede could never understand how she could walk around in those clothes when its 38 degrees despite knowing of her temperature problem. When she got out of bed, she decided to ditch the slippers and walked over to her desk. She first opened her jewelry box and pulled out a purple ribbon with a copper key attached. She put the key around her neck and then pulled open a drawer and took out two items. After closing the drawers, she walked over to the main door, opening as quietly as she could. She looked out down the hall before closing the door behind her. She walked down the hall and down the stairway. After going through another hall and down another stairway, she finally reached the main stairway of her house. She crossed the landing and up the stairs on the right. After walking to the end of the hallway, she reached a door. She took off the key around her neck and used it to unlock the door. Once inside, she walked up to the home shrines of her parents. Her father's was on the left and her mother's was on the right. In the middle of the shrines was a little table with a small vase of flowers and an incense stick holder. She then took out the items, a package of incense sticks and a lighter, and set up two sticks each for her mother and father. After lighting them, she bowed her head and began to pray for her parents. She didn't utter a word, keeping the prayer to herself for only her parents to hear. When she finished the prayer, she silently spoke.

"I love you, mom. I love you, dad"

She soon began to feel drowsy. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep on the floor of her parent's shrine room.


End file.
